USA

August 29, 2006

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for southern Florida Monday after tropical storm Ernesto, which grew into the season's first hurricane briefly on Sunday, cut across the Caribbean at about 12 m.p.h. Visitors were ordered out of the Keys, with forecasts calling for the storm to gather strength over open waters and make landfall sometime Tuesday. Gov. Jeb Bush (R) has issued a state of emergency for all of Florida.

With tropical storm Ernesto approaching, NASA decided Monday to remove the space shuttle Atlantis from its Cape Canaveral, Fla., launchpad and roll it into a protective hangar. The shuttle's original liftoff had been switched to Tuesday after lightning struck the launchpad Friday. For the right conditions, the launch needs to occur by Sept. 8, or be moved to October.

Nationwide gas prices fell 15 cents a gallon during the past two weeks, with the average price of self-serve regular dropping to $2.87, according to the Lundberg Survey of 7,000 service stations.

Members of Detroit's teachers union overwhelmingly rejected a a new contract offer and decided not to report Monday to begin preparing for the Sept. 5 start of classes. District administrators say $88 million in teacher concessions are needed to balance the school budget, but the teachers are unwilling to accept a pay cut.

Tiger Woods, who completed his first decade as a professional golfer Sunday by winning his 52nd title, now prepares to keep a four-tournament winning streak alive in the Deutsche Bank Championship, which begins Sept. 1 in Norton, Mass. On Sunday, Woods prevailed over Stewart Cink on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff at the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

In its fifth season, the FOX show "24" collected major honors at television's Emmy Awards, held Sunday in Los Angeles. Kiefer Sutherland, who plays a counterterrorism agent on "24," was named best actor while the show was selected the best drama series. NBC's "The Office" was chosen as the best comedy series.